The Names of the Night
by FortuneHost
Summary: [Oneshot] A quiet night as Link and Saria stare at the night sky, and seek to name the stars.


It was far too late for the children to be awake… the _rilsuhimnar_ , the musical spirits, had played their flutes of birch and sung the other Kokiri to sleep; a soft lullaby heard every night by every generation since the most ancient of days. This call to slumber was no draconian law or decree; the Forest did not really _demand_ anything of its children…

Link and Saria lied flat upon the roof of the former's house… their eyes skyward towards a moonless night and its countless diamonds. Their ancestors, the Cocýry of old, had found the stars uniquely beautiful, in their tongue calling them _astanar._ Link and Saria similarly appreciated the silent brilliance of the distant lights.

"Look at them, Saria… just **look** at them all!"

"Yes… more than I can count." she marveled. It was not as if this were her first time seeing the stars, but neither she nor Link ceased to find them exquisite.

"More than anyone, and what are they? How did they get up there, or have they always been? Are they far away or just very small? What makes them shine?"

"I suppose we can only wonder."

"You think anyone has named them?"

"I don't know. There seem to be far too many to so. Such a daunting task, I don't know if anyone has been brave enough to do so."

"I say _we_ should, we'll name the stars and maybe someday people will use our names for them and we'll be famous!"

"Link and Saria..." she said, "famous star-namers. That sounds like fun."

Link could discern her bright smile even in this dark. He pointed to one, the star that seemed at the top of the sky.

"Why not call that one _baenla?"_ he said, naming it in Aonyona, the Ancient Speech, "the sky almost looks like a tree canopy… what if it's a glowing apple at the top of the tree?"

"Who's ever heard of a glowing apple?"

"Still, I'm going to call it _baenla pwelebsu_."

"Actually… I like that. But let's shorten it… _Baenpwelsu_ , white apple; that sounds good to me."

"Ooh, me too… okay, you name one."

"That, the brightest star… like the twinkle in an eye…"

"Okay, whose eye?"

"Well it's the night sky, after all, so why not an owl? We could call it _weylu nic cwelu_ … _Cweluylu."_

"Cweluylu… I like the sound of that one too… the eye of the owl…" the boy paused, "Saria?"

She turned to him, curiosity in her expression.

He continued, "Do you ever think about the great stories the Deku Tree tells? The legends of the great romances of the past?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's always… a boy and a girl who know each other very well… who knew each other for ages, and…"

"Yes?"

Saria couldn't help but overhear her heart… it beat with great intensity, such that she feared she'd soon be unable to hear anything else. Why? What made it race so? What prompted these raging inner drumbeats?

"Will they ever tell stories about us? Will the Deku Tree ever tell future Kokiri the tale of Link and Saria?"

"That would be nice, I suppose… but even if he doesn't, what does it matter?"

"Yes… but I'd kind of like it, I think we're worth remembering."

"Of course we are. You are worth remembering and I always will, _en oura adhuin il."_

The two were among the last mortal native speakers of Aonyona, most other Kokiri having forgotten or never bothered to learn it. It was something beautiful they shared, soft lilting words. Every time it was said it spoke of an intimacy between them.

" _Eúra_ , Saria. I won't forget you either. Even if the world forgets both of us… I suppose you're right it doesn't matter. We have each other. I… I _suppose_ that's all I need in the end. That's probably all I should want."

"Some of you wants to be remembered in a grander sense, though, doesn't it?"

"It's just… I want to be a _Kokiri_ legend… to be remembered as Kokiri… prove Mido and everyone else wrong about me. For the future to prove them wrong… I want to be remembered as something other than _syfalyth_."

Saria rolled over to face him. "Link, for the love of Gods, please don't call yourself that-"

"But it's what I am… it's all they see. Just a circus freak… an outcast. Why is it the _only_ Aonyona word they know is something so hurtful? They mock and jeer me in my own language, in our language… the thing that makes me different, that cruel absence that marks me as the pariah of the Forest."

"Link… even if that were what you were… it's not who you are. What is more… you **will** be remembered. You'll be remembered as the greatest most loyal friend anyone could have, you'll be remembered as my… best friend, my _melloanyn_."

She'd hesitated … why did she hesitate? Was she going to say something else?

Link could not help but look at her, both in affection for word just used… but also quizzically, uncertain if she was correct. Wondering if she was mistaken about their importance.

"You think that's… that _we're_ legend-worthy, Saria?"

"Oh, I have no doubt about that, _vanassu_. We should get one, we deserve one, even if the future is not wise enough to actually grant us one."

"They could call it "Saria and Link, Who Named The Stars."

"Süryütumno ëu Cucúlynic, Donar Moanen dû Astanar." said Saria, translating it, and using their full Aonyona names.

"Even better."

He laid back and turned once again to the glittering sky.

"So…" he said, "what should we call _that_ one?"

* * *

 _Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed. This short piece is intended as a preview for a much larger (novel-length) Link/Saria romance and adventure that I am currently working on. Hopefully this piqued your interest for the final product. Until then, check my profile for monthly updates on the progress of the long story, as I will not upload it until entirely finished._

* * *

PRONUNCIATIONS & TRANSLATIONS  


rilsuhimnar [ril-soo-him-nahr]  
 **plural noun, (singular:** _rilsuhim_ **)  
** Musical spirits. The Hylians call them "Skull Kids," a name Kokiri find terribly rude.

astanar [ahs-tah-nahr]  
 **plural noun** **(singular,** _asta_ **)**  
stars

baenla [bah-ehn-lah]  
 **singular** **noun (plural,** _baenlanar_ **)**  
apple

pwelebsu [pweh-lehb-soo]  
 **adjective**  
White. (slightly more literal translation would be "cloud-white" or "color of the clouds.")

weylu nic cwelu [weh-ee-loo] [nik] [kweh-loo]  
"eye of (the) owl"

En oura adhuin il. [ehn] [oh-oo-rah] [ahd-hoo-in] [ il ]  
"I will remember you, from now until forever more."

Eúra [eh-uur-ah] _(The "uu" represents the sound of the U in "cure.")_  
"I will too." (a more literal translation: "I will do the same thing you said for you.")

syfalyth [see-fah-leeth]  
 **compound noun**  
From _sydu_ [see-doo] "without", and _falyþhim_ , [fah-leeth-him] "companion fairy."

melloannyn [mehl-loh-ahn-neen]  
 **singular** **noun (plural,** _melloanynnar_ **)**  
Best friend, closest friend.

vanassu [vah-nahs-soo]  
 **singular noun (or adjective) (plural,** _vanassunar_ **)**  
noun form, "beloved closest friend" or "one I deepest-platonic-love"  
adjective, "deepest-platonic-loved" or "best-friend-loved"

Süryütumno eu Cucülynic, Donar Moanen dû Astanar  
[suh-ree-uh-toom-noh] [eh-oo] [koo-kuh-lee-nik] [doh-nahr] [moh-ah-nehn] [doo-uh] [ahs-tah-nahr]  
"Saria and Link, the ones (who) named stars."


End file.
